Alfred Sisley, French Impressionist Landscape Painter

Alfred Sisley, French Impressionist Landscape Painter Alfred Sisley (October 30, 1839 - January 29, 1899) was a French impressionist painter who straddled British and French national identification. Although he received far less praise than some of his contemporaries, he was one of the key artists who began the French impressionist movement. Fast Facts: Alfred Sisley Born: October 30, 1839 in Paris, FranceDied: January 29, 1899 in Moret-sur-Loing, FranceProfession: PainterSpouse: Eugenie LesouezecChildren: Pierre and JeanneArtistic Movement: ImpressionismSelected Works: The Bridge in Argenteuil (1872), Regatta at Molesey (1874), Barges on the Loing at Saint-Mammes (1885)Notable Quote: The animation of the canvas is one of the hardest problems of painting. Early Life and Training Born in Paris, France, the son of wealthy British parents, Alfred Sisley grew up and lived most of his life in France, but he never renounced his British citizenship. His father operated a business exporting silk and artificial flowers. Sisleys mother was extremely knowledgeable about music. In 1857, the parents sent young Albert to London to study for a career in commercial trade. While there, he visited the National Gallery and examined the work of the painters John Constable and J.M.W. Turner. In 1861, Albert Sisley returned to Paris, and a year later began art studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. There, he met fellow painters Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. They frequently took trips to paint landscapes outdoors in an effort to realistically capture the changing impact of sunlight throughout the day. Sisley met Eugenie Lesouezec in 1866. Together, they had two children, Pierre, born in 1867, and Jeanne, born in 1869. Although they remained together until Eugenies death in 1898, they didnt marry until August 5, 1897. In 1870, due to the impact of the Franco-Prussian War, Sisleys fathers business failed. Sisley and his family lived in poverty for the rest of his life, surviving on the income from selling his paintings. The value of his works didnt increase significantly until after his death. The Seine at Point du Jour (1877). Hulton Fine Art / Getty Images Landscape Painter Camille Pissarro and Edouard Manet were primary influences on the style and subject matter of Albert Sisleys paintings. Pissarro and Manet were key figures who provided a bridge to the development of impressionism in the latter part of the 19th century. Sisleys primary subject was landscape painting, and he often depicted dramatic skies. The painting The Bridge in Argenteuil, painted in 1872, shows Sisleys primary interest in the landscape and architecture of the bridge despite the presence of strolling people in the painting. He boldly depicts the clouds in the sky and the rippling effect of waves in the water. The Bridge in Argenteuil (1872). Mondadori Portfolio / Getty Images Barges on the Loing at Saint-Mammes, painted in 1885, shows the bold colors created by the intense sunlight of a warm summer day. The reflections of the buildings along the beach are shown broken up by the movement of the water, and the eye is drawn through perspective to a railway viaduct in the distance. Friendship With Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet Alfred Sisley became close friends with Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet, two of the most prominent impressionists. The trio often painted and socialized together. Sisley was close enough to Renoir that the latter painted multiple portraits of Sisley both alone and with his partner, Eugenie. Albert Sisley painted by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Yorck Project / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain Sisley was never as prominent in the Paris art scene as his two close friends. Some observers theorize that is due to the fact that Sisley insisted on embracing both his French and British roots, straddling two cultures, while his better-known colleagues were French through and through. Later Career Constantly seeking a lower cost of living due to struggling to get by on his income from selling paintings, Sisley moved his family to small villages in the French countryside. Late in his career, he began focusing more intently on architecture as a subject in his art. An 1893 series of paintings focuses on a church in the village of Moret-sur-Loing. He also painted a series of depictions of the Rouen Cathedral in the 1890s. Barges on the Loing at Saint-Mammes (1885). Heritage Images / Getty Images Albert and Eugenie traveled to Great Britain for a final time in 1897. They married each other in Wales and stayed along the coast where Sisley executed nearly 20 paintings. In October, they returned to France. Eugenie died several months later, and Albert Sisley followed her to the grave in January 1899. To assist with the financial needs of the children Sisley left behind, his good friend Claude Monet arranged an auction of the artists paintings in May 1899. View of Fontainebleau Wood (1885). Mondadori Portfolio / Getty Images Legacy Alfred Sisley received little acclaim during his lifetime. However, he was one of the founding artists of French impressionism. His early paintings provide a link between the neo-impressionistic works of artists such as Edouard Manet, and key impressionists such as Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, both good friends of Alfred Sisley. Some also see Sisley as a rightful predecessor to the work with light and color in the paintings of Paul Cezanne. Source Shone, Richard. Sisley. Harry N. Abrams, 1992.

Why recruiters are not paying attention to what youre saying in interviews

Why recruiters are not paying attention to what youre saying in interviews I have a confession to make. Years ago, 34 to be exact, at the start of my professional career I was an employment representative for a local university. Today, the position title would more likely be Recruiter or Talent Acquisition Specialist. The job title may have evolved, and the technology employed is now far more advanced. But the fundamental responsibilities of the position remain unchanged even today. Find candidates. Screen candidates. Interview candidates. When I say interview candidates, I mean a lot of interviews. Six to 8 interviews a day. Five days a week. Two years. That is more than 3,000 interviews if my math is correct. Now the confession. Not every single one of those interviews was gripping, edge of your seat theatre! Some of the interviews were mind numbing boring. At least once a day, in an interview, I would ask a question and then immediately â€Å"zone out†. By zone out, I mean my brain went to another place and time. It would return a few minutes late r when the candidate had finished the answer to the question. I, of course, had no idea what they had said or what valuable information they may have shared about themselves and their value to our organization. You can relate if you have ever been driving a car and several minutes go by when you find yourself at the next stoplight with no idea how you got there.I would like to tell you that my problem was unique, a symptom of life in the 1980’s and that the probability of â€Å"recruiter zone out† in today’s day and age is non-existent. But I would be lying. It’s just human nature. We are not built with an infinite attention span. We need mental stimulation and active participation to stay mentally engaged in any activity. Specific to job search and interviews, research from Monster.com indicates that:The average interviewer’s attention span looks something like this:As you begin speaking, the interviewer is listening with nearly full attention.Aft er about 10 seconds, he begins listening with less intensity.After 60 seconds, his mind begins to wander and he’s devoting less than half his attention to you. After you’ve been speaking for 90 seconds without interruption, the interviewer is barely listening at all.So, if maximizing engagement and attention span with your interviewer is a critical element of a successful job search, what’s the secret to being interesting in an interview? The answer is conversation. More specifically, you need to turn your interview into an actual conversation. We define a conversation as: â€Å"the informal exchange of ideas by spoken words†. That definition might run counter to your view of an interview as a series of formal questions and answers. If you don’t learn how to master the art of the conversational interview, then you run the risk that your interviews will always be a series of formal, dry, zone out inducing questions and answers.In today’s worl d of electronic communication, email and text messaging, it is possible that we are a little out of practice when it comes to informal conversation. That is not an indictment of any specific age group. We all, regardless of age, now have our heads buried in our smartphones. The good news is that conversation is like muscle memory and riding a bike. You never forget how to maintain a conversation. It’s human nature. You just need a few tips and techniques to adapt conversation to a job interview. Here are a few essential tips.Above all else, be interested in and inquisitive about your interviewer, the company and the position. Interest is best fueled through preparation. Research your interviewer on LinkedIn to identify areas of common interest and career experiences about which you would like to explore in greater detail. Research the company beyond the standard tour of the company website. Read articles from industry trade publications, postings from industry-specific groups on LinkedIn and the standard Google topic search.Take the time, before the interview begins, to build some rapport with your interviewer. Small talk and informal questions as you are getting settled will both ease your nerves and put your positive personality on display. Your pre-interview research gives you the building blocks for the small talk. For example: â€Å"I saw in your LinkedIn profile that you are fluent in three languages. That is a fascinating skill. How did you become so proficient in each language?†Be a storyteller. Every question you are asked is an opportunity to tell an engaging story that highlights your personality and value proposition. Work to formulate your answers to most of the behavioral interview questions using the standard STAR technique. What was the Situation? What was the Task that you performed? What was the Action that you completed to resolve the situation? And what was the quantifiable Result of your action?Keep the conversation going. En d every one of your answers with a related question designed to amplify your research and your value proposition. For example, after answering a question about how you facilitated a successful team project, you might ask: â€Å"I see that you use an open concept office design here. How do you use the open office space to leverage greater team collaboration?†And finally, have big ears and laser sharp eyes. By that I mean listen, really listen to what your interviewer is saying in response to your questions. And maintain eye contact. Don’t fake it. Stay engaged, have fun and view the interview as an opportunity to learn. Your best will shine through in an engaged conversation.The art of conversation just takes a little practice. And it makes life more interesting.I love to watch penguins. They all look the same, sound the same and pretty much do the same things every time I see them. I just don’t want to be one in an interview.Dan Troup is the founder of the Advan tEdge Careers coaching service. If you are interested in learning more about how a certified career coach can assist you in your job search, please contact AdvantEdge Careers at: https://www.advantedgecareers.com/